This invention related to car wash systems in general, but specifically to car washes which include one or more car wash bays each serviced by a "wand" applicator or nozzle. An individual drives his car into a car wash bay, places a coin or token into a coin/token meter box, and manually sets a dial to perform a specific car wash operation. Typically such dials might be turned manually through the consecutive operations of "presoak," "wash," "rinse," and "wax," and during this typical cycle of operation a person directs the spray from the wand nozzle against the automobile in a known manner.
It is not uncommon to accumulate up to $1500.00 in quarters per week per meter box, and this has resulted in theft, attempted theft and/or meter box destruction. Even when the meter box is emptied on a daily basis, sufficient coins accumulate to make theft attractive. Even if the meter boxes are not successfully broken into by thieves, they are often rendered inoperative. Some conventional meter boxes use combination locks, and if thieves cannot open these, they simply break off the dial, bang up the associated spline of the dial shaft, and this obviously requires subsequent repair and/or replacement with attendant cost to the car wash owner. It is not uncommon for frustrated thieves to pour Super Glue down the keyholes of key-lock meter boxes when they have been thwarted in their efforts of opening the same. It is not uncommon for thieves to use crowbars, sledge hammers and even attempt to rip the meter boxes from supporting walls by chaining the same to a vehicle which is accelerated in an effort to rip the meter box from its support structure.